Gerontology

With the world's population getting increasingly older, there has never been a more pressing need for the study of old age and ageing. An Introduction to Gerontology provides a wide-ranging introduction to this important topic. By assuming no prior expert knowledge and avoiding jargon, this book will guide students through all the main subjects in gerontology, covering both traditional areas, such as biological and social ageing, and more contemporary areas, such as technology, the arts and sexuality. An Introduction to Gerontology is written by a team of international authors with multidisciplinary backgrounds who draw evidence from a variety of different perspectives and traditions.

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Narrative gerontology focuses on the possibilities of the "life as story" metaphor in the field of aging. Effectively integrating theory, research, and practice, this volume emphasizes the ways narrative approaches such as guided autobiography and life review can be incorporated into practice. The goal is to improve the quality of care and the quality of life for older adults, especially those with chronic illness and those near the end of their lives. Professionals within the fields of gerontology, social work, counseling, family therapy, nursing, medicine, and occupational therapy will all find valuable insights on how to incorporate narrative approaches into their work. Book jacket.

Older aged adults face many adversities over the later life course. This edited volume will address the ways in which seniors bounce back from different types and combinations of adversity – termed “resilience”. While research has been accumulating that identifies inherent abilities and external resources needed to adapt and navigate stress-inducing experiences among aging and older adults, gaps remain in understanding the unique elements and processes of resilience. A series of chapters included in this book will address several overarching questions: why do some older individuals/families/communities adapt to adversity better than others; what are modifiable behavioral protective/risk factors related to resilience; and how can we foster resilience at the individual/community level and which approaches show the most promise? The spectrum of aging-related challenges and responses addressed in this book include: mental health; physical/functional health problems; multimorbidity; socio-economic deprivation; social isolation and loneliness; cultural dimensions of loneliness; housing/homelessness problems; and environmental disasters. This book presents cutting-edge science at the conceptual, methodological, empirical and practice levels applied to emerging resilience sub-fields in gerontology. It will also present potential areas of future research, policy and practice linked to these areas. During a period of the most rapid population aging in the US, Canada and many other nations, coupled with heightened global socio-political change, extending our knowledge of resilience will help society to make important adjustments to maximize health and wellness of older individuals. Supporting and enhancing resilience through technological, social and/or community-level advances in geroscience will help those facing adversity to thrive by harnessing, stretching, and leveraging a wide array of potential resources. The promotion of healthier older populations has far-reaching consequences for health care and social/community support systems, both in terms of public health including pandemic response, and the development and implementation of innovations in treatment and practice guidelines.

Master prose stylist Julian Barnes presents a collection of stories whose characters are growing old and facing the end of their lives—some with bitterness, some with resignation and others with raging defiance. “Life is just a premature reaction to death,” was what Viv’s husband used to say. Once her lover and friend, he is now Viv’s semi-helpless charge, who is daily sinking ever deeper into dementia. In “Appetite,” Viv has found a way to reach her husband: by reading aloud snippets of recipe books until he calls out indelible—and sometimes unfortunate—scenes locked away in his brain. In “The Things You Know,” two elderly friends enjoy their monthly breakfast meetings that neither would ever think of missing. Of course, all they really have in common is a fondness for flat suede shoes and a propensity for thinking spiteful, unspoken thoughts about one another’s dead husbands. “The Fruit Cage” is narrated by a middle-aged man whose seemingly orderly upbringing is harrowingly undone when he discovers that his parents’ old age is not necessarily a time of serenity but actually an age of aroused, perhaps violent, passions. In these stories, Julian Barnes displays the erudition, wit and uncanny insight into the human mind that mark him as one of today’s great writers, one whose intellect and humour never obscure a genuine affection for his characters.

Encyclopedia of Biomedical Gerontology, Three Volume Set presents a wide range of topics, ranging from what happens in the body during aging, the reasons and mechanisms relating to those age-related changes, and their clinical, psychological and social modulators and determinants. The book covers the biological and medical aspects of gerontology within the general framework of the biological basis of assessing age, biological mechanisms of aging, age-related changes in biological systems, human age-related diseases, the biomedical practicality and impracticality of interventions, and finally, the ethics of intervention. Provides a ‘one-stop’ resource to information written by world-leading scholars in the field of biomedical gerontology Fills a critical gap of information in a field that has seen significant progress in the last 10 years

Designed to inform educators, professionals, and students about gerontology-related courses, degree programs, educational services, and training programs in 1275 institutions in the United States, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Canal Zone. Geographical arrangement. Entries include coded identifying information of institution, address, contact person, and descriptive information. College, subject indexes.

"I was thrilled to see content that focuses on quality improvement, patient safety, interprofessional collaboration, care coordination, and other content that supports the role of the AGNP as a clinical leader and change agent. The authors give these topics the attention that they deserve, with clear, insightful guidance and importantly, the evidence base. The chapters that address roles (including during disasters!), settings of care, billing, and medication use address salient issues that will help the fledgling AGNP to hit the ground running and the seasoned AGNP to keep current. –Marie Boltz, PhD, GNP-BC, FGSA, FAAN Elouise Ross Eberly and Robert Eberly Endowed Professor Toss and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Penn State University From the Foreword Written for Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioners, faculty, and students, this primary text encompasses the full scope of AGNP primary care practice across multiple healthcare settings including telehealth. The text emphasizes the best available evidence to promote person-centered care, quality improvement of care, interprofessional collaboration, and reducing healthcare costs. The text delivers timely information about current healthcare initiatives in the U.S., including care coordination across the healthcare continuum, interprofessional collaboration, and accountable care organizations. Disease-focused chapters contain general and specific population-based assessment and interprofessional care strategies to both common and complex health issues. They offer consistent content on emergencies, relevant social determinants of health, and ethical dilemmas. The text also prepares students for the administrative aspects of practice with information on the physical exam, medications, billing, coding, and documentation. Concise, accessible information is supported by numerous illustrations, learning objectives, quality and safety alerts, clinical pearls, and case studies demonstrating best practice. A robust ancillary package includes an Instructor's Manual with case studies and teaching guides, a Test Bank reflective of clinical situations and patient conditions, PowerPoints covering key concepts, and an Image Bank of skin conditions and other figures. Key Features: Covers several key courses in the curriculum for ease of teaching/learning Embraces a broad population focus addressing specific care needs of adolescents through older adults Facilitates safe care coordination and reinforces best practices across various health care settings including telehealth Fosters understanding, diagnosis, and management of patients with multimorbid conditions Incorporates evidence-based practice information and guidelines throughout, to ensure optimal, informed patient care A robust ancillary package includes an Instructor's Manual, a Test Bank, PowerPoints, and an Image Bank.